(A/n- Sorry readers, last week I was busy due to returning to college and shifting my hostel room.)
The morning sun painted golden streaks across the sky as I awakened, my body thrumming with an electric anticipation that I hadn't felt in months. Today marked the beginning of my hunt for the Emerald Demon Bird, and the prospect filled me with an excitement that went far beyond the simple acquisition of a soul ring. This would be my first genuine hunting expedition—previously, my only experience had been helping Baixue in obtaining her soul ring, which hardly counted as a proper test of my abilities as .
Stretching languidly in my bed at the Rose Hotel, I reflected on how long it had been since I'd faced a truly challenging opponent. The past year had been frustratingly devoid of battles that could push me to my limits. Dean, while undoubtedly powerful, was so overwhelmingly superior that our sparring sessions felt more like educational demonstrations than genuine combat. What I craved was an adversary closer to my own level—perhaps slightly stronger—someone who could force me to utilize every technique in my arsenal and discover the true extent of my capabilities.
"Finally," I murmured to myself, rising from the comfortable bed and beginning my morning preparations, "a chance to see what I'm truly capable of when pushed to the edge."
The Star Dou Forest held particular significance for me, not just as a hunting ground but as unexplored territory. My previous brief encounter during the Tian Meng incident had barely scratched the surface of what the vast forest contained. The memory of that chaotic event still sent shivers down my spine, and I could only hope that the disturbance hadn't affected the sleeping fierce beasts.
The thought of accidentally stumbling into territorial disputes between the legendary fierce beasts was genuinely terrifying. The image of a certain racist bear launching into his ultimate attack without warning made me unconsciously made me little cautious. Equally concerning were the other inhabitants of the forest's core—a particular gorilla whose temper was legendary, and that bull-snake hybrid with dragon blood both of them who held a rather unhealthy obsession with a certain rabbit.
"Best to stay in the outer regions," I decided aloud, checking my equipment one final time. "No need to invite unnecessary complications."
According to Dean's detailed briefings, the Emerald Demon Bird typically inhabited the outer circle of the Star Dou Forest. These magnificent creatures were notoriously territorial and aggressive, traits that had led them to establish domains well away from other soul beasts unless their species faced imminent extinction. This isolation would work in my favor, reducing the likelihood of interference from other predators during our confrontation.
After securing all my supplies and double-checking my equipment, I made my way to the hotel's lobby to arrange transportation. Rather than flying directly to the forest and potentially attracting unwanted attention, I decided to hire a merchant cart heading in that direction.
"Excuse me," I approached a weather-beaten cart driver who was loading supplies, "are you by any chance traveling toward the Star Dou Forest today?"
The middle-aged man looked up from his work, his experienced eyes quickly assessing me. "Aye, miss. Making a supply run to the settlement just outside the forest boundaries. You wouldn't be another soul master heading for a hunt, would you?"
"Indeed I am," I confirmed, producing the appropriate payment. "I'd be grateful for passage if you have room."
"Course I do! Always happy to help soul masters—good for business, you understand. Hop aboard!"
As our cart rumbled along the well-traveled road, I found myself engaged in conversation with several other passengers, mostly traders and a few fellow soul masters. The casual atmosphere provided perfect cover for my journey, and I used the opportunity to gather additional intelligence about recent forest conditions.
"Any unusual activity in the forest lately?" I asked a grizzled soul master who appeared to be returning from his own expedition.
"Nothing too out of the ordinary," he replied, scratching his stubbled chin thoughtfully. "Though I did hear rumors of some commotion deeper in the forest a while back. Lot of the flying beasts seemed agitated for a few weeks. Settled down now, thankfully."
This information aligned with my concerns about the Tian Meng incident's aftermath. It seemed the disturbance had been felt throughout the forest ecosystem, but the effects appeared to have stabilized.
During the journey, my mind wandered to the various soul guide innovations I'd been developing. The concept of a soul guide motorcycle particularly intrigued me—imagine the mobility and speed such a device could provide! However, such advanced creations would have to wait until I'd mastered higher-level soul guide techniques.
My current project involved perfecting the Milk Bottle soul guide, a revolutionary device that functioned as an external soul power reservoir. For someone like me, whose techniques relied heavily on sustained soul power output, such a tool could prove invaluable in extended battles. The ability to outlast opponents through superior endurance often proved decisive in combat.
"The main challenge," I mused silently, "lies in the concentration required for activation. Using it mid-battle would leave me vulnerable."
The Milk Bottle's limitation was significant—it required undivided attention and precise mental focus to transfer soul power effectively. This made it impractical for combat situations, where split-second decisions could mean the difference between victory and defeat. I needed to devise modifications that would allow for more seamless integration during active engagement.
My soul guide studies had progressed considerably over the past months. I'd successfully memorized and comprehended all soul guide principles up to level three, and had even crafted numerous level one through three devices using metals I'd analyzed and recreated through my abilities. However, advancing beyond this point required access to increasingly rare and expensive materials—ores and alloys that were both difficult to obtain and costly to purchase.
Most frustratingly, creating a functional Milk Bottle required at least level four soul guide expertise, a threshold I hadn't yet reached. The complexity of the internal arrays and the precision required for soul power manipulation were simply beyond my current capabilities.
"One step at a time," I reminded myself as our cart approached the forest's edge.
By the time we reached the settlement near the Star Dou Forest, the sun had climbed to its zenith. The timing was less than ideal for beginning a hunt—entering the forest during midday would mean facing nocturnal predators at their most active state by evening. It would be wiser to rest, gather final intelligence, and begin my expedition at dawn.
"Thank you for the ride," I told the cart driver, paying him generously for his service.
"My pleasure, miss! You take care in there—forest's been hungrier than usual lately."
I made my way to the settlement's tavern, a rustic establishment that catered primarily to soul masters and forest workers. The building buzzed with conversation as hunters shared stories, traded information, and planned their expeditions.
"I'd like a room for the night," I told the tavern keeper, a burly woman with arms like tree trunks.
"Sure thing, Miss. You heading into the forest tomorrow?"
"That's the plan. Any recent developments I should know about?"
Her expression grew more serious. "Well, there's been some strange disturbances deeper in the forest. Not affecting the outer regions much, but the migration patterns have been a bit off. Some of the flying beasts have been more aggressive than usual."
This confirmed my earlier concerns. I spent the remainder of the day discretely gathering intelligence from other patrons, learning about recent soul beast movements, territorial changes, and any high-profile soul masters who might be operating in the area. The possibility of accidentally interfering with another hunter's expedition—or worse, having them interfere with mine—required careful consideration.
One grizzled veteran provided particularly valuable insight: "If you're hunting in the outer circle, watch for the Man Faced Demon Spider . Nasty creatures, with nasty attacks. Had a group of soul masters try to take one down last month—only two made it back, and empty-handed at that."
"Any advice for dealing with them?" I asked casually.
"Just stay away from web and silent places," he replied grimly. "They're can sense you using webs and have vary vicious poison. Don't give them time, and whatever you do, don't stall time. Their attacks are mainly compromised of poisoning and hallucinogenic mist."
As evening fell, I retired to my room to finalize my preparations.
Dawn arrived with crisp, clear skies—perfect hunting weather. I'd risen before sunrise to complete my final preparations and review my strategy one last time. After a substantial breakfast to fuel the day ahead, I set out for the forest with renewed determination.
The Star Dou Forest's edge was marked by ancient trees whose canopies seemed to stretch endlessly skyward. The moment I crossed the threshold, the familiar sensation of countless soul beasts' presence washed over me. The forest was alive with predators, prey, and everything in between—a complex ecosystem where only the strongest survived.
Following Dean's directions, I navigated deeper into the outer circle, searching for the specific area she'd described. The terrain gradually shifted from dense undergrowth to more open woodland, with towering trees providing a natural canopy that filtered the morning sunlight into dappled patterns on the forest floor.
After several hours of careful navigation, I discovered the first promising signs—scattered feathers that belonged to both Green Roc Eagles and Emerald Demon Birds. The presence of both species indicated I was approaching contested territory, where aerial predators competed for prime hunting grounds.
"This must be the place," I whispered, examining a particularly vibrant emerald feather that seemed to shimmer with residual soul power.
Almost immediately, I noticed a significant change in the forest's atmosphere. The usual chorus of bird calls and wing beats that had accompanied my journey suddenly ceased. My spiritual sense, which had been detecting various flying soul beasts throughout my trek, now registered nothing but an ominous emptiness in the airspace above.
"I've entered its territory," I realized with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
The Emerald Demon Bird's territorial dominance was absolute—no other flying creature dared intrude upon its domain. This isolation would work in my favor, eliminating the risk of interference from other aerial predators, but it also meant I was now in the hunting ground of one of the forest's most formidable apex predators.
Two approaches presented themselves for locating my quarry. The direct method would involve taking to the skies myself, using my external soul bone wings to search from above. However, this strategy carried significant disadvantages—it would grant the Emerald Demon Bird both the element of surprise and the high ground advantage it was accustomed to exploiting. Additionally, any other soul masters in the area might spot me and potentially interfere with my hunt, either seeking to steal my kill or simply causing complications through their presence.
Fortunately, I had prepared for exactly this situation. Reaching into my equipment pack, I retrieved one of my most innovative creations—the Sensor Drone.
The device was roughly the size of a dinner plate, constructed from lightweight metals and equipped with sophisticated arrays that allowed it to interface with my spiritual energy. While I lacked the technical knowledge to create traditional monitoring systems with visual displays, my breakthrough in spiritual resonance technology had enabled a far more elegant solution.
"Sometimes the old methods are the best methods," I murmured, activating the device's power core.
The Sensor Drone operated by extending my spiritual sense beyond its natural range, essentially functioning as a remote sensory organ. Through careful manipulation of spiritual energy frequencies, I could pilot the device and perceive everything within its detection radius as clearly as if I were physically present.
The main limitation was that effective operation required either natural spiritual abilities or exceptionally strong spiritual power—qualities that most soul masters lacked. For someone with my capabilities, however, it was like gaining a third eye that could travel independently through three-dimensional space.
Rather than sending the drone high into the canopy where it might be spotted and attacked, I programmed it to maintain a low altitude while systematically expanding my search area. The key was patience and methodical exploration rather than dramatic aerial maneuvers.
As I guided the drone through the forest, I considered the behavioral patterns of my target. Despite being classified as a bird-type soul beast, the Emerald Demon Bird was fundamentally different from smaller avian species. These creatures were apex predators, significantly larger than typical birds, and possessed intelligence that bordered on cunning.
"Every bloodline soul beast carries pride in their genetic heritage," I mused, directing the drone toward a cluster of particularly impressive trees. "Even if it seems irrational, that pride influences their choice of territory."
This behavioral trait suggested that the Emerald Demon Bird would likely claim the most prominent nesting site available—probably the tallest, most majestic tree in its territory. Such a location would provide both practical advantages for hunting and satisfy the creature's instinctual need to dominate its environment.
My drone began its systematic search of the area's largest trees, each one a towering giant that had survived centuries of forest competition. Somewhere among these ancient sentinels, my quarry waited, and soon our confrontation would begin.
The hunt for the Emerald Demon Bird had officially commenced, and I could feel my pulse quickening with anticipation. This would be the test I'd been craving—a battle that would push my abilities to their limits and prove whether all my training and preparation had been sufficient.
As my drone continued its reconnaissance mission, scanning each potential nesting site with methodical precision, I prepared myself mentally for what lay ahead. The Emerald Demon Bird was renowned for its speed, ferocity, and tactical intelligence. Victory would require every skill I'd developed, every technique I'd mastered, and perhaps most importantly, the wisdom to know when and how to deploy them effectively.
The forest seemed to hold its breath around me, as if nature itself was anticipating the coming confrontation between predator and predator, each determined to prove their supremacy in this ancient arena of survival.